HOOVER, Alabama - The coaching job James Franklin has done is remarkable. The Commodores are taking a 7-game win streak and a 2-year bowl streak into the 2013 season.

Take this into consideration: Vanderbilt has been to just four bowl games in its history (122 years) before Franklin was hired in 2011. As one reporter noted at SEC Media Days, it's easier for Alabama to win a national championship than for Vanderbilt to go to a bowl game.

Franklin sells to recruits the fact that the Commodores and Notre Dame are the only schools in the "20-20-20 club" - teams that finished ranked in the top 20, with a top 20 recruiting class and as a top 20 academic school.

But with success sometimes comes magnified problems. Recently, four players were dismissed after a June 29 "incident being investigated by the Metro Nashville police department."

The four - defensive back Brandon Banks, safety Corey Batey, receiver Tip McKenzie and tight end Brandon Vandenburg - didn't play last year. They were dismissed as an investigation is ongoing involving a sexual assault in a dorm room.

Franklin stayed mum on the issue, citing the ongoing legal process, but said it hasn't slowed down the Commodores on the recruiting trail.

"Not whatsoever," Franklin said. "We've been very up front and honest with people, giving them the information that they needed to have.

"Then from that point on, you know, people know who we are. They know what we represent. People have been unbelievably supportive."

Vanderbilt went 9-4 last year and 6-7 two years ago. Franklin stressed that the bowl game appearances in the past and that's not the focus of this year's team, but the community and high schools have noticed the rise in Vanderbilt football.

"That now high school coaches across this country can offer an opportunity to their kid and reinforce an opportunity that, look, not only can you go to Vanderbilt and get a great education, but you can have an unbelievable experience on the football field as well," Franklin said.

Vanderbilt has to replace quarterback Jordan Rodgers. Franklin said he won't name starters at any position for at least a couple of weeks into fall camp, citing that he doesn't want to tell recruits they have a chance to play and then name a starter before they even begin practicing.

However, rising senior Austyn Carta-Samuels distanced himself this spring. Carta-Samuels started his career at Wyoming before transferring to Vanderbilt.

"But you're talking about a guy, he's going to be a first time starter in the SEC if he wins the job," Franklin said. "You're also talking about a guy that started at a previous institution. You can get on YouTube right now and watch him play against Texas, Boise, things like that. I think that gives him a distinct advantage. He's been in our program now for three years."

Franklin said Carta-Samuels, or whoever wins the job, will have plenty of weapons at his disposal, plus one of the biggest offensive lines they've had at Vanderbilt. Jordan Matthews caught 94 passes for 1,323 yards and eight touchdowns and Chris Boyd caught 50 passes for 774 yards and five touchdowns.

"I think whenever you have a Boyd and a Matthews on the outside, that's going to help whoever the quarterback is," Franklin said. "I think the other thing is the fact that we have a chance to average at least 300 pounds across the offensive line, which we've never done in the past, I think is really going to help whoever the quarterback is."